North American River Otter Pups Debut at WCS’s Prospect Park Zoo

First otters born in New York City zoo or aquarium since 1956

Another Spring addition to Prospect Park Zoo’s Discovery Trail

View the video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMHWNbB7UEg&feature=youtu.be

Brooklyn, NY – May 17, 2012 – Attached photos/video: Three North American river otters born at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Prospect Park Zoo explore their surroundings in the exhibit on Discovery Trail.

The three otters were born in February to Dixie, a 3-year-old female, and Oogie, a 10-year-old male. The pups are the first North American river otters born in a New York City zoo or aquarium since 1956 at WCS’s Bronx Zoo.

North American river otters are members of the weasel family and are found near lakes, rivers and coastal areas of Canada, Upper Great Lakes, New England, and Atlantic and Gulf Coast regions of the United States.

In the early 1900’s, otter populations dramatically declined in large portions of their historic range due to fur trapping, water pollution, and habitat destruction. Conservation practices that have improved water quality and regulated hunting and trapping have helped to restore otter populations in many areas of the United States. The Wildlife Conservation Society’s North America Program works across North America to save wildlife and wildlife habitat.

Contact: Barbara Russo (718) 265-3428; brusso@wcs.orgSteve Fairchild (718) 220-5189; sfairchild@wcs.orgThe Wildlife Conservation Society’s Prospect Park Zoo – $8.00 for adults, $6 for seniors 65 and older, $5 for kids 3-12, free for children under 3. Zoo hours are 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. weekdays, and to 5:30 P.M. on weekends and holidays, April through October. 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. November through March. The Prospect Park Zoo is located at 450 Flatbush Avenue in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. For further information, call 718-399-7339 or visitwww.prospectparkzoo.com.

The Wildlife Conservation Society saves wildlife and wild places worldwide. We do so through science, global conservation, education and the management of the world’s largest system of urban wildlife parks, led by the flagship Bronx Zoo. Together these activities change attitudes towards nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans living in harmony. WCS is committed to this mission because it is essential to the integrity of life on earth.